‘Do the job right the first time’: Firefighters train for big rig accidents

About 80 firefighters from across Canada got a crash course this weekend on how to approach and handle accidents involving big rigs.

The Big Rig Hands-On-Training Symposium was coordinated by Leduc County Fire Services and the Alberta Vehicle Extrication Association. It was held in Nisku and runs Saturday and Sunday.

Darrell Fleming, the fire chief for Leduc County, said the training is critical in the Capital Region.

“We have big vehicles locally in the City of Edmonton. We have the Anthony Henday. We have Highway 2 with [thousands] of vehicles going up and down that highway,” he said.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "We have big vehicles locally in the City of Edmonton. We have the Anthony Henday. We have Highway 2 with [thousands] of vehicles going up and down that highway," he said.

Fleming said the technical rescue training is meant to help eliminate any intimidation a firefighter may feel approaching a crash scene.

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Fire crews from 17 different fire departments got hands-on training in three scenarios: a big rig rollover, rescuing a car pinned underneath a big rig and cutting through a big rig to the individuals inside.

Pete Methner, captain of the Niagara Falls Fire Department as well as an instructor for the Alberta Vehicle Extrication Association, said the simulations were created to mimic what firefighters see on the roads.

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“They’re real-life scenarios. We have jackknifes. We have cement trucks roll-overs. That can happen at any construction site. It could happen while they’re building highways,” he said.

Methner said the numbers of these types of accidents may be low but firefighters need to be prepared.

“You have to do the job right the first time. These are people’s lives that depend on these local departments to rescue them,” he said.

“If it is one accident in 10 years, if you’re prepared, you’ve done your due diligence.”

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Brianna Rocque, 21, has been a firefighter with the Fort Saskatchewan Fire Department for close to two years. This is her first year at the symposium, which is held annually, and she said the training is practical to keep Fort Saskatchewan Roads safe.

Though she may not encounter a plethora of big rig accidents, Rocque said the training trickles down.